Thursday, September 27, 2018

The population of
vultures numbering only around 250 to 300 at Moyar Valley amidst the Mudumalai
Tiger Reserve(MTR) buffer zone limits makes this place a very critical hub of
the giant bird as vulture conservation, studies and research have been confined
to this part of the state in the recent times. Vultures, nature's own sanitary
squad, whose jungle scavenging works is helpful in keeping the woods clean and
tidy, are also helpful to check spread of dreaded germs from the woods to the
outside world. Though vultures dominated the Indian skies, over the decades the
eco-toxicological factors played havoc with the life of vultures. Its
population not only declined rapidly over the decades, but had become a
critically endangered species which needed highest level of conservation
efforts.

Heard
of ‘clarion call’ : the noun (usually singular) would mean- a very clear message or instruction about
what action is needed.Initially thought
that to have originated about a bird like vulture but read that it came after -
clarion type of trumpet (used for battle
signals) in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The Clarión wren (Troglodytes tanneri) is a
species of bird. The wrens are mostly
small, the family includes 88 species divided
into 19 genera.

Then there is the -
birds of prey, or raptors, species of bird that primarily hunt and feed on
vertebrates that are large relative to the hunter. Additionally, they have keen
eyesight for detecting food at a distance or during flight, strong feet
equipped with talons for grasping or killing prey, and powerful, curved beaks
for tearing flesh.Do you know that the first Saturday in September each year is
International Vulture Awareness Day. The International Vulture Awareness
Day has grown from Vulture Awareness Days run by the Birds of Prey Programme of
the Endangered Wildlife Trust in South Africa and the Hawk Conservancy Trust in
England, who decided to work together and expand the initiative into an
international event.

Vultures are large
to very large, robust raptors, generally known for their scavenging habits.
They are strong fliers and are able to soar at great heights. Vultures can spot
fresh meat from miles away. In fact, its vision is vastly advanced. Vultures
also have an uncanny sense of smell. This kind of bird symbolism prompts us to
use all of our senses to navigate in the pursuit of our highest benefit. In
Roman mythology the vulture was the steed of the god Saturn (dominion over
justice, agriculture, harvest and strength via control). The vulture was also
associated with the god Mars (representative of strategy, military,
masculinity, initiations, and protection).

Of all 23 species
of vulture on the planet today, 16 are in danger of extinction and they could
be history like the dinosaurs without you having known about them. Of that
number, Africa has the most diversity having up to 11 species and nine being
found in Southern Africa. In Africa today, vultures are faced with many threats
to their populations. In Zimbabwe, one of the leading threats is intentional
and unintentional poisoning done by poachers and some farmers trying to bait problem
animals that prey on their livestock.Commercialisation
of traditional healing and divination also has become a major concern as
poachers now trade in vulture parts for traditional medicines. To an African
mind, the peculiar abilities of an animal or plant are spiritual and inherent
in all its physical form and can be transferred to a human through possession
or use of them.This presents a big
challenge to vultures and conservationists trying to protect them, the claims
for clairvoyance are scientifically unfounded and faith-based, they stem from a
misunderstanding of the ecology of vultures and how they locate food when they
are foraging.

Another major
threat in Africa today is power lines. Much of Africa still does not have a
dense electricity network. Most power lines were designed without the
consideration of vultures and other big birds. As a result, these big birds get
electrocuted in their numbers on these unsafe structures or collide with the
cables as they fly by.Shrinking habitat
is a major threat too.

A vulture’s
eyesight is needle-sharp: it can locate a recently-deceased animal carcass from
as much as a mile away. And when we say recent, we mean recent. Vultures
typically arrive on the scene within an hour of death, having roved as much as
200km that day in search of a meal. And then they get to work, picking the
bones clean before disease has time to spread, far faster than scavengers such
as feral dogs or rats can achieve. If you think about it, they are performing a
huge humanitarian service. But for how
long? ~ and are their days numbered !!